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New York Rangers: What It Will Take To Win The Cup

By Timothy Haggerty

Oct 13, 2016; New York, NY, USA; The New York Rangers salute their fans before an opening night game against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2016; New York, NY, USA; The New York Rangers salute their fans before an opening night game against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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There are many things the New York Rangers will need to improve on to win the Stanley Cup this year.

If winning a Stanley Cup were easy, everyone would be in the playoff hunt every year. The Stanley Cup is widely regarded as the hardest trophy to win in sports, and it has eluded the New York Rangers for over 20 years. The Rangers have failed to make it to the final since 2014 when they were just three wins away from winning the cup. They will need big contributions from these key players if they hope to return to the finals this season.

Rangers Young Guns

Wednesday night’s lineup against the New York Islanders featured three players making their rookie year debut. Jimmy Vesey, 2015-2016 Hobey Baker Winner at Harvard, chose to sign with the Rangers this offseason over several other teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins. Brady Skjei and Pavel Buchnevich were both drafted in the Rangers organization. Skjei made his debut last season with the Rangers, but he only played seven games while tallying zero points.

The Rangers are going to need big production from these three players throughout the season. Vesey is playing on the top line with talented veterans Derek Stepan and Mats Zuccarello. If he can contribute to the scoring on that line, Vesey could make a great case for the Calder Trophy. Buchnevich was featured on an electric line this preseason with Chris Kreider and offseason accusation Mika Zibanejad. Brady Skjei is currently paired with Adam Clendening, but the Rangers defense is all but locked for the season.

These three players could prove to be the missing pieces from past playoff runs that help to push the Rangers over the edge this season.

Goaltending

Oct 13, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) makes a save against the New York Islanders during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist (30) makes a save against the New York Islanders during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

Goaltending is a very important piece to any good team. It’s no secret that Henrik Lundqvist contributes heavily to the Rangers success. Without his help, the Rangers could find themselves watching the playoffs at home this April.

Henrik’s statistics really shouldn’t give fans any reason to worry about an imminent decline. His GAA last season was a respectable 2.48. It was his career worst GAA, but the awful defense last season could be partially blamed for that. Goalies have shown that they can play well into their 40s. Henrik is just 34 years old and is still on his game. His postseason play will need to be better than it was last year, but then again, that could partially be blamed on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ reign of terror last spring.

Without Lundqvist, the Rangers wont go anywhere. They will be counting on him throughout the season as a staple in their plan.

Defense Wins Championships

Oct 13, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) and New York Islanders center Shane Prince (11) chase after the puck during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 13, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) and New York Islanders center Shane Prince (11) chase after the puck during the third period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The defense last year significantly hurt the Rangers. In past years, the defense ranked among the top ten in goals allowed. Last year, they ranked 15th, and that does not include the postseason. That statistic will need to get back to the top ten where it has resided in past years with deep postseason runs.

Ryan McDonagh will play a large role in making sure that happens. He is the team’s best defenseman and will carry a lot of the load against the NHL’s top players. Dan Girardi and Marc Staal will also need to fight father time and get back into their prime form. Nick Holden, recently acquired from the Colorado Avalanche this offseason, will also have some work to do on the second pairing with Marc Staal.

Next: Bold Predictions for the 16-17 Season

Unity

Lastly, the team will need to be all in together this season; the right mindset is key. The talent is there, now they just have to go out and put it to use. After all these years of deep playoff runs, nothing is a success that doesn’t end with Stanley Cup Championship.

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